SNL Weekend Update with your anchorman Ken Lewis

I turned on the TV long enough to catch Green Day rock out on SNL tonight. Gotta say, I've never been a huge Green Day fan, though always respected them (ANYONE who sells 5 million copies of one album gets my respect and then some), but let me tell you, when they performed live at the Grammy's (i was there) they rocked!!! I thought their performance was one of the highlights of the whole evening. This evening however, they were only a five minute work diversion.

The rest of today and tonight was mostly spent mixing, and though i just finished an all day mix, i'm gonna go do some last minute tweeks on another mix before i call it a night. There's just so much to work on around here. So, I had a great week of mixing with several awesome artists on Jive Records and Atlantic Records and some independent stuff too. This was an all pop rock kinda week mixing mostly full band stuff, live drums, bass, guitars, and even a song with the London Symphony Orchestra. I love mixing bands. Hell, who am i kidding, i love mixing just about anything under the sun. I think one of the things i like best is that the music is perpetually changing. One day i'll be mixing hip hop, the next pop, the next rock, the next something else. It keeps things very fresh and very creative, and when your working long days seven days a week, that is very crucial to avoid burnout. I feel exhausted, but not at all burned out. I've spent all weekend mixing and i'm looking forward to waking up Sunday and mixing some more.

I got five songs in this week to mix for CeCe Winans. I'm excited. I already mixed CeCe's first single on her new album (which i guess is what landed me this gig), and the stuff i got in this week, that i'll be mixing next week, is a live concert performance for DVD release. Kind of in the vein of a VH1 Storytellers thing. Its been a little while since i've mixed to picture. I've done it plenty in the past and its pretty fun. I'm really looking forward to those mixes. Next week I'm also mixing music to be used in a stage play. I wish i could be there to hear my mixes opening night, but the play is not (yet) in New York. Because i mix records so much, Its always fun to stretch to other mediums. I mixed the Boost Mobile cell phone commerical featuring Kanye West, Ludacris and The Game. You'd have to live under a rock not to have seen it, they've been running it for almost a year now on TV. That was a fun one. I've mixed a bunch of TV commercials in the past too, (Coke, Ford, Xerox, Infinity, Rasin Bran :-) but none other than the Boost commercial for a little while now. Working on jingles is like being in the eye of a hurricane. The calm in the center of a stress storm. I could never do it full time, but once a month is a blast. Ad Agency people and jingle house people all run at a stress level of plus 1,000. the Boost commerical was actually a full song mix that we edited down for a 60 second commercial, and a very low stress series of sessions. Most jingle mixes are like making a 60 second mini record in 2 hours, or usually less. You have to mix very fast and very well because millions of people might be "seeing" your work. Its great for your chops. I cope with stress very well, or better, i RARELY get stressed about much of anything. If you ever see me stressed or pissed off, you can believe there's an excellent reason for it. Lets face it, clients dont want to see or hear you stressed out. It makes them stressed out, and it makes them start to worry about their project being in your stressed out hands, which just adds.......yep...... more stress. I make records for a living, geeeezzzz, what is there to be stressed out over?
OK, i think my ears have gotten a good rest now from my last mix. time to go do touch ups on a Small Town Sleeper mix. A new song called "Car Crash" that will be on the new EP (coming soon!!!) and in their shopping package. Its an awesome song, which is part of the reason i'm inspired to finish it up at 4:24am on a Saturday night. Feels like 4 in the afternoon to me when i work on their stuff. (thats like mid morning to most people though i guess, so maybe it feels like 7 in the evening. Yeah, thats better). Anyway. I hope your week was as good as mine. Next week is gonna be an awesome week for me too. I'm really looking forward to it.
- Ken

Friday Night

Well, actually by normal people standards, its Saturday morning, but anyone who reads the blog knows that for me, its not the next day til I go to sleep and wake up. So, Friday night 5:15am. Just wrapped another marathon mix. This seems like it was the week of the marathon mixes, but wow, some really great stuff came across my plate this week. And i've already got the next two weeks of work lined up. Actually, come to think of it, I've got the next 4 weeks of work lined up. Holy Cow. Its rare in this business (except for the chosen few) to be booked solid a month in advance. I always have work and could easily work 365 days a year if i wanted to, but i usually only stay booked about 5 to 10 days out. This is probably the busiest I've ever been and for anyone who knows me, you know how profund a statement that actually is.

Welp, I need to cut this short as i have to wake up in about 6 hours and start mixing again. I have so much stuff to mix this weekend. No play time for me.
- Ken

The Pursuit of BLING

What is wealth? What is bling? I'm not much for diamonds, though i have one in my ear. Its not obnoxious. I usually wear a very simple necklace if any at all. The one i like to wear most lately has a pendant made from an ancient Roman coin, dating back to around 300AD. That makes it around 1700 years old. When i look at it, i am reminded that, all things considered, we get a very short time on this Earth. I bet the original owner(s) of this coin never dreamed someone would wear it around their neck over a millenia later. I wonder how they lived, and i wonder what I'll leave behind for people to find 1700 years from now. I hope to leave some sort of semi-permanent mark through music. Not to be remembered personally, but i'd like to think some of my work will survive that long. I've been very fortunate to work with some of the great artists of our time, who's names I have got to assume will live for at least a few centuries. Mary J Blige, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Usher, Mariah Carey. Will any of my contribution to music stand the test of time? I hope so, because thats my bling.

Now i have a couple other blingy things. My studio is pretty blingy. As far as gear goes, i have everything i could want to mix records, and most of the gear i'd ever want to record them too. But since almost nobody but me ever sees my studio, it only sparkles sonically. I drive a nice car, not over the top by any means, but i love it. No big rims, no super modifications. I don't consider myself wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. I make good money, but i also spend it like water. It takes money to build a career right, to build a studio right, to pay your staff, pay your taxes, enjoy life a little bit. One day i'd like to be considered "rich". I have a stock right now that is really taking off and making me some good money. One thing i've definitely learned, it takes money to make money. Well, unless you have a hit single, then it just takes a song to make money. Mix engineers dont usually make extra money if the songs they mix do well. Sometimes we do, but we benefit with residual work. One thing is for certain, i work very hard to make the money that I make, and i do have a bit of a love affair with money, though it certainly doesnt consume me. Work does consume me though.

Recently, I've thought alot about what it means to be "Rich", and i've drawn some conclusions. I think the things that make me rich are my life experiences. I love to travel and i've seen some great places. Lots of Europe. Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Paris, London, Normandy, and all over southern Germany. I want to go back to Europe this fall. I love it there. I've been all over the United States, and to many carribean islands. I've been to Alaska 3 times. It is truly the last Crown Jewel of the United States. The places I havent been that I'd love to go to are Africa, Australia, Japan, and the Galapagos Islands. If anybody wants to fly me to one of these places to work, I'll cut my rates. I've also seen some of the most beautiful art ever created. Some of my favorite artists are Salvador Dali, Van Gogh, Pissarro, Rhodin, Monet, Renoir, Michaelangelo, there are so many, and their work has enriched my life.

I've seen some pretty amazing bling in the music industry. Kanye wears that backpack to balance out the weight of his chain hangin in front of him. Just Blaze has some of the most amazingly beatiful watches i've ever seen, and you should see his sneaker collection. but the richest person i know probably doesnt own a single diamond. His name is Bo. He's my cousin, and he's one of the most talented photgraphers on the planet. (and a genuinely nice guy). Speaking of the Planet, he's seen places and things on it that i can only dream about. He currently LIVES in Antarctica, where he's spent much of his adult life. He's also traveled all over the world, to places i've never heard of. Thankfully, he loves photography and he's very good. So i get to live vicariously through him and see all the places i dream about going. I think Bo's life experience makes him the richest person i know, his life is his bling. Whats your bling? Check out his photography website, you'll be very glad you did. He got to look down the lense of every shot, what a lucky man.
www.BoPhoto.org

-Ken

Analog Toys too!!!

This is a sibling post to the one below. Just so ya'll know. I also own and use a ton of analog gear as well. I'll often bus out to an analog EQ, compressor or an outboard reverb during "in the box" mixes. This is pretty frequent but based on need. I have sontec and Nuemann mastering EQ's that are great for a ton of things (i dont use them to master). Manley Variable MU and Electro Optical compressor limiters to help fatten things up. and a good array of avalon, Lexicon, etc... I used my SPX 990 reverb on a mix last week when i ran out of DSP (yes even with an Accel 3), and it sounded wonderful. I also have a real EMT140 Plate Reverb, and i use it constantly. That thing is 8 feet long and 4 feet high, and sounds that big. But again, tools are great to have, ears and experience are the most valuable mixing tool anybody can own. I personally have a very unique pair. I dont think anyone else has my ears, literally speaking of course. I own 2, they are attached to my head.
-Ken

Favorite New Toys (post for gear geeks)

OK, back to talking about music and mixing for a moment. I have strayed lately.
New Toys, oh yes, there are many. I've always been a firm believer that if the work and the money are rolling in, you should invest some of that money back into your livelyhood. I have been recently in a very big way. I recently got new replacement woofers and tweeters for my Event 20/20's. I endorse Event, not cause they give me stuff, but because i honest to God have mixed and recorded everything i've done for about the last 5 years thru them, long before they endorsed me. If i walk into a studio and Genelec's are on the console, they get taken down, my Events get put up. Every time. I'm supposed to be trying out the Event Precision 8's really soon. I hope i love them, but i know i love the 20/20's.
I also just made a huge investment in a new mixing rig. I went all out and got a Pro Tools HD Accel 3 system, the biggest most powerful one you can get, if they made em bigger i've have bought it. I love it. I still mix mostly with Logic as a software front end, but all the hardware is Digi stuff. The really expensive part however, was buying new plugin's. Holy Cow. That really hurt, but it had to be done. in a nutshell, i have all the Waves Platinum stuff (awesome nuts n bolts work tools, i use Waves a TON), all the Sony Oxford/GML stuff, including the Oxford Reverb which is beautiful for alot of things. I mostly use the Oxford GML EQ out of that bundle (great for surgical strikes and broad strokes), i haven't found many good uses yet for the Inflator and that Transient Modulator yet (any suggestions are very welcome!). All the Eventide stuff (full Anthology pack), i LOVE the Eventide Reverb (especially the plates), the other stuff is good for special effects, and I've actually been using the Omnipressor on Lead Vocal chains lately and my clients have been loving it (i will often use 5 to 10 plugins on a lead vocal. i just keep slappin em on until i carve out what i'm looking for).

I think the URS Neve EQ has the clearest midrange i've heard, and the URS Fulltec sounds really analog and powerful to me, and its pretty versatile. The API is good too. Reverb One is a good nuts n Bolts verb. I just got Revibe, which is great at doing what alot of the other reverbs are weak at. Same with the Eventide verb. Echo Farm is a must, and i love it, but i think i'm gonna scoop up EchoBoy by SoundToys as well. it looks very cool. I already bought a ton of SoundToys stuff, and I'm impressed with all of it. The PitchBlender and TimeBlender are kind of "must have's", but they make this bundle of special effects which can really open you up creatively, Tremolator, Phase Mistress, Crystalizer, and Filter Freak. All very cool for that one special moment in a mix. Some other things i use the hell out of, Bombfactory Pultec, Fairchild and 1176, actually i like the BF Joe Meek stuff too. Don't really love the BF LA3A and LA2A, but was never a fan of their analog counterparts either. Oh yeah, the GRM Classic tools are great for filtering and a couple other special effects.

I've got a ton of other stuff, but these are alot of my main weapons. One thing i love to have when i mix is choices. I really try to do different things each mix. I don't have my "Lead Vocal Compressor" or my "Kick Drum EQ". Honest, if you pull up 4 different mixes of mine and look at similar instruments, you might be surprised at how differently the same types of instruments get treated. Which basically just means that my brain suggests something, and my ears tell my brain when it sounds right. My ears are going to guide me to a finished mix every time, not my gear. The shovel doesn't tell the worker how deep to dig does it? Tools are tools. Its great to have great tools, but the most valuable, one of a kind, irreplaceable tools i have are my ears and my experience. Mixing anymore feels as effortless as breathing (usually). I guess i've mixed over 1,000 songs in my life, I'm getting pretty darn good at just knowing what things should sound like. I don't always hit perfect first time, but that's what revisions are for. But i'm also always trying to push the envelop and get better and better. I fully intend to be one of the biggest mixers in the world some day, hopefully within the next 5 to 10 years. So, every mix, i try to challenge myself to get better, find new techniques, etc... People often ask me for mixing advice. Here it is. I am pretty much a self taught mixer. I've had the good fortune to watch a few of the greats a mix a few times, and i read some of the trade magazines sometimes for new things to try, but for the most part, I learned by doing and by imagining what something could sound like instead of what it did sound like. By digging in and mixing as much as i could, and by always challenging myself to grow as a mixer. Nothing can replace experience. If you like what i'm doing now, wait five years and you'll know what i mean. For now, back to work.
- Ken

Congrats Lance! - Ode to France (hey that rhymes)

Lance Armstrong ends his career on top of the world with his 7th Tour De France victory (in a row) today. Congrats to Lance, what an unbelievably amazing accomplishment. I wish i was in Paris to enjoy the moment and watch him sip champagne as he rides down the Champs Elysee (remember Hitler drove his tanks down this road, scary stuff). Which brings me to my ode to France. It seems alot of Americans hate the French, with no good reason, except that the French didn't support the War in Iraq (sorry, i didn't either since before we invaded, I saw all this mess coming). Now let me just clarify my politcal stance quickly. Nope, i don't think pulling our troops out now is the right answer (there is no right answer, we fucked it up), and i support our boys and girls over there and if i were a praying man, I'd pray for their safety every hour of every day. There is a hell on Earth, its Iraq. We caused it. I'm sure it was no picnic under Saddam, something tells me its much worse now. I hope one day it gets better. I wouldn't bet on it. There were and are far worse places and far worse dictators that we didn't invade. Sudan. Congo. Rwanda. North Korea. Going into Afghanistan was the right thing to do. I'm glad we did it. Iraq and Afghanistan had nothing in common.

Back to France. Any American who dislikes France, and has never been there, shame on you. Its a beautiful place with wonderful people. I've been to France 3 times now, and i think i've met two or three rude French people the entire time. Now i LOVE New York City, but meeting 2 or 3 rude people a DAY in New York is not uncommon at all. New York is still a GREAT city, maybe the best city on Earth, with great people. So is Paris. Paris was my favorite city on the planet until i went to Prague. Paris is still a close second, and for museums, art, etc... Paris is unrivaled. Prague is just magical. Its actually not that expensive to vacation in Paris either. About the same cost as an average trip to the Caribbean. I know plenty of people who have backpacked all over Europe, very inexpensively. I'm jealous. what an experience. And the rail system that connects the countries of Europe is spectacular. You'll find, almost everyone in Paris speaks some english, and will happily speak to you in English if you politely address them in French with a simple "Bon jour". Knowing even a few basic words of the country's language goes a very long way.

If you've never been out of America, its hard to comprehend that Europe is ALOT older than America. So much of Paris and the countryside date back many many centuries. The history is found everywhere in daily life, without walking into a museum. I visited Normandy for a couple days once. a powerful experience. Every American should make the trip. Utah and Omaha beaches are absolutely beautiful and its difficult to imagine such horrific events ever taking place there. But when you see the endless rows of crosses and stars in the battle cemeteries, things snap quickly back into perspective. Everything in Normandy is so old (well, everything that wasn't destroyed in the war). Most of the structures still in everyday use, homes, shops, farms, date back to the 1600's and 1700's. In America, how much from that time period is still in daily use? And the people of Normandy were wonderful. Even the ones who spoke no English at all. Normady is captivating. We even had an older couple we met, who lived in Normandy, invite us into their home (17th century farm house which was beautiful) so they could cook us THANKSGIVING DINNER. Ummmm, its not a holiday for them, but this is the extent of the hospitality that was extended to us by the people there.

So why did i write a whole blog entry on France and what does this have to do with music? Well, first, its my blog and i'll write what i want, though i do hope you enjoy it. Second, i think music, art, and culture share some connection. They don't necessarily have to be linked, but they often are. I'm very fortunate to work with music sent to me from around the world, it keeps me very open creatively to be exposed to such a vast array of musical styles and influences. Believe it or not, if i'm mixing even a street level hip hop track, my mix just might be a little more creative because i've gone to France 3 times. Something to think about.
- Ken

Go Lance!!!! (and other alien stories)

Who doesn't think that Lance Armstrong is one of the best atheletes who ever lived? The guy beats cancer and is poised to win his seventh Tour De France in a ROW!! Holy Cow. I would rather watch grass grow than watch cycling on TV, except maybe sprint cycling in the Olympics, but that doesn't mean that I don't have tremendous respect for this guy, and all of the riders in the tour. They race 2241 MILES in 3 WEEKS on bikes. I dont think i could handle driving that far in that time frame. Saturday is the last official race day, actually they may have already started. Everybody send your good vibes to Lance and his team, one day stands between him and his seventh win. People are going to be talking about this guy and this race 100 years from now, this is truly a moment in history. And to think that they've gone over 2,000 miles and less than 3 minutes separates the leaders. Incredible. Man i'd be so pissed if i were the second best cyclist the last 7 years straight.
Has anyone seen the "Men in Black" movies. I think Lance Armstrong is probably one of the aliens in disguise. Not to mention the fact that the guy has Sheryl Crow for a girlfriend. I hear she likes aliens. Maybe she's an alien too. I mean could a human write so many good songs? maybe. Plus she used to sing backup for Michael Jackson before she became famous. Michael Jackson is definitely an alien. no doubt about that. His alien disguise has clearly worn down over the years. I think beings from his planet must not survive well on Earth. Earth's atmosphere turns them white and makes their noses shrink. gross. I tend to think that i need to get out in the sun and get a tan, but then i look at Michael, and I dont feel so pale anymore. Thats actually one star that I'm kinda glad I've never worked with. I mean, I would have loved to be a part of "Thriller" or "Off the Wall", but then i was just a young boy when those records were made and i'm scared to speculate how i might have contributed to their making. Thank god i'll never know.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand...... GO LANCE!!!!!!!! You are one amazing alien.
- Ken

I'm So Selfish

Its true. I am. Hi, my name is Ken, and I am selfish. Everything i do is for me. me. me .me. me. me. me. Trust me, it is. OK, now that i've got your attention, you might be wondering "gee Ken, you dont SEEM selfish, you seem like a really nice guy". I'm a nice guy too. I'm in this business to make the best damn records I can possibly make. If thats mixing, or producing, or performing, or whatever it might be. If my name is going on it, i take a very selfish pride in making sure i do the very best job i can, not for you, for me. I don't care who the artist is, mega-star or unsigned. After all, when the only person i really have to answer to is myself, its good to know that "myself" always sets a very high bar for me to jump over. Don't get me wrong, i actually do care about most of the people i work with, but honestly, if i'm hired to do a job, even if i hate the music, even if i hate the person, (both very rare, but it happens, I'm human) if i agree to do the work, I'm giving it 110%. Not for them, for me. I'm selfish like that. I have too much respect for the art of mixing, the art of music, I have too much respect for myself, not to do the best job i can do. And for my current clients, who have been waiting too long for their mixes to be delivered, All i can offer is my apologies for my snail like pace lately, I've had a glut of major label work come thru. The good news is, part of whats taking so long is that i try to make every record i do as good as possible. I will put the same effort into your record, please be patient :-)

I don't like losing. I never did. I played soccer year round, indoor and outdoor from 6 years old, til i moved to New York at 22 years old. I was a son of a bitch on the field. You did not want to play against me. If i wasnt scoring on you (and i scored alot), i was attacking relentlessly. I was always one of the most agressvie people on the filed. What i sometimes lacked in raw talent or speed, I made up for with determination and hard work. I always wanted to win. The best feeling in the world is winning, one of the worst is losing. From the first time til the last time i ever set foot on a soccer field, i almost always led my team each season in scoring and assists (yes i'm definitely a team player too). I think i just wanted to win more than anyone else on the field. Hmmmmmm..... sounds very familiar. By the way, I am a HUGE believer in building a great team. I have one. I have a few. I'm lucky to be surrounded by talented people who all have a passion for music.
I didn't get to make hit records for a living because I'm complacent. I don't accept from myself any less than the best i can give. Sometimes my assistants say "man your STILL working on that song", and i just say yep, its not done yet. Look, if you wanna succeed in the music industry, at any level, you better be able to look yourself in the mirror and live with the reflection. I've been making major label records for 14 years. I'll be making them 14 years from now. I've seen so many people come and go in that time. Success and survival is not just about talent. Talent definitely helps. I'd like to think i have a bit of it. Long term survival is about how you conduct yourself. What is your work ethic? How do you treat people? Do you take your smallest client as seriously as your biggest client? Are you honest? Do you do good business, or do you screw people? Are you a person of your word? Are you willing to invest the time and money into your career that you'll need to succeed? Is your talent your crutch that you lean on, or one spoke of the wheel that makes you turn. I've seen so many incredibly talented people who never made it, or who's careers ended quickly. Something was missing, have you figured out yet what i think was missing?
And of course the last rant. Credits Credits Credits Credits Credits. If you don't understand the value of a good credit in the music industry, get out now. A good credit is more valuable than gold. So is experience. I worked with Diana Ross six years ago, but when i'm sixty, I'll still be able to say "I worked with Diana Ross" and people will know who I'm talking about. The money i made on that project was spent quickly, the credit will last forever. My break, however, is over. Back to work for me.
- Ken

I Want Candy

I produce an amazing pop rock band from Urbana, Ohio named "Small Town Sleeper". If you haven't heard this band, please go to my main page and click on the link under LISTEN labeled "Small Town Sleeper". It'll make you a believer.

So they sent me a new song last night. Holy Cow. its amazing. We're actually wrapping up a new EP right now that we hope to release in August only on the internet, and only available at indieTunes.com and if you haven't checked out indieTunes.com yet, waddayawaitingfor????? Its the coolest place on the net for independent artists to promote and sell their downloadable music, and I founded and support the site, so you know indieTunes is definitely looking after indie artists right.

Anyway, Small Town Sleeper's new EP is chock full of songs that will make you go "wow, they are awesome, what label are they signed to", which the current answer is right now, they aren't. We'll start shopping and showcasing in August. I fully intend to make any A&R person who sleeps on this band regret it for the rest of their career, and the one A&R person who does sign them, well, they are going to get a cornerstone artist for their label. Mark my words.

So, you may be asking yourself, "what on Earth is Ken doing posting in the afternoon, its not 4am". Hey, i work day and night, what can i say. Small Town Sleeper, check em out.
- Ken

Rise n Shine

Rise n Shine??? You gotta be crazy!!! who wakes up at 6am? Who are these people. Any sane person knows its better to stay up working all night so you can watch the sun rise before going to bed. OK, so i was mixing while the sun was rising and forgot to watch it. Dammit! Maybe tomorrow morning i can catch the sun rise. Hmmm... Right now i have a date with a pillow and a blanket. Done mixing for the night/morning, whatever it is right now. Actually, i have a rule. Its not the next day til you've slept. Sometimes with this rule, I've actually skipped entire days. Once i was awake for 67 hours straight mixing for Public Enemy. Not even a cat nap. I'd finish a mix, they'd ask me to do another, how can you say no to Public Enemy? After that stretch, i managed to get 6 hours of sleep in a New York hotel room, wake up and do an 18 hour recording/mix session for Aretha Franklin. One of the most amazing and grueling weeks of my entire life. Thought i'd share.

So, its still Monday night for me, and when i wake up it'll be Tuesday round noontime. See ya'll "tomorrow".
-Ken

Clean Up in Aisle #5

I just wet my pants. OK, maybe not. but if pants wetting wasn't so messy and gross and socially unacceptable, I would have just done it as a matter of principle. There are moments over a long career (14 years so far doing major label work), when you know your working on something very special. Now, I know what your thinking "isn't every project special Ken???" Well, yes, but there are those few extra super special career moments. Tonight i started a mix that is one of them. Big artist, probably gonna be a big single. Great song. Pop record with all live instruments, drums, bass, tons of guitars, and the London Symphony Orchestra!!! God you gotta hear these strings by themselves. This is a career moment.

Lets take a stroll down memory lane of a few previous "career moments". In no particular order of importance, not even cronological order, just stream of conciousness order......
- The first major label song i ever worked on that got released. Color Me Badd "Time and Chance"
- First Platinum Record "The Jason's Lyric Soundtrack", also a #1 album
- Engineering for Butch Vig when he produced the Soul Asylum "Let Your Dim Light Shine" album. He had, at the time, recently produced Smashing Punpkins "Siamese Dream" and Nirvana's "Nevermind" albums and was arguably one of the biggest producers alive. I did two and a half weeks of engineering on that album. Andy Wallace mixed it, and i got to sit in occasionally and watch Andy mix. Both Butch and Andy are two of the coolest guys I've ever worked with in the music industry.
- Mary J Blige "Share My World" album. I recorded and mixed "Seven Days". The first time i heard Malik Pendelton sing a reference vocal to the song i knew i would be a big hit. I could not believe my ears. It became even sweeter when George Benson came in to play guitar on it. he might be the only person I've ever recorded that I was completely awestruck. That man breathes music more effortlessly than air. Working with Mary J for the first of very many times in my career was no small event either. And the album went on to chart #1, sell triple platinum, and catch a Grammy nomination. My first of 13. "Seven Days" was a pretty major hit as well.
- "Black Butterfly". You've never heard the version i mixed. The world was cruely robbed of it thru record company politics. Remember the "Belly" soundtrack? The single was SUPPOSED to be a cover of "Black Butterfly" performed by Mary J, Kelly Price, and Tyrell Hicks. J Dub produced it, and it had live drums, live bass, guitar, keys, a full orchestra, and a full choir. It was one of the most amazing songs I've ever gotten to mix, and competing record company politics kept it from being released. what a shame.
- Recording and mixing an album for David Byrne of the Talking Heads. and i got to play on a couple songs. When people ask me "whats your favorite project you've ever worked on?" That record might be the winner.
- I've gone head to head with some of the biggest mixers in the industry. times when they mixed the same song i did, and the record company had to choose which mix to use. I've won a few, I've lost a few. I am definitely not saying for a moment I'm better than these guys, but as the saying goes, on any given Sunday, anyone can win. My mixes have beaten Tom Lord Alge, Chris Lord Alge, Mick Guzowski, Manny Marroquin, and Brian Malouf to name a few. These guys are truly some of my favorite mixers in the world, and overall I'd say all of them are probably better than me, but not on those days. In all fairness, I've certainly lost a few mixes too. Some you win, some you lose. I try hard to win them all though.
- 8 Grammy nominations in one year (2005 Grammy's), including 2 of the 5 Album of the Year nominations. I won two of the 8 nominations, but not record of the year. F'n Ray Charles. I was robbed. it hurt. I'm not over it :-)
- Plenty of artists I've worked with that i definitely knew would be career credits. Tonight is one of them, if i can nail the mix. I have a feeling i might be going up against one of the aforementioned mixers. Some others that i was doing backflips when i got the calls were Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Soul Asylum, Usher, Aretha Franklin. Man that list could go on. I so love what i do, and i so love having the privledge to make my living with music. I still get very excited over landing projects, big and small. You might be surprised. OK, my ears are now well rested. Back to my mix!!!
-Ken

Balancing Work and Play

So today i spent about 12 hours mixing (and taking phone calls and various other distractions), but i also spent several hours tonight having a social life. I've been trying hard to do that. This week was difficult. I'm way behind on my workload, not because i'm a slacker, but because i just have too much work. i know. Poor me. Believe me I'm not complaining. I seem to perpetually have too much work, but usually i find a way to stay on top of it. I'm struggling right now and working my staff to death at the same time. Those guys are troopers though, and they've been pulling some long hours with me helping me stay on course. Cooper spent the day pitch correcting vocals and prepping a couple songs for me to mix. Brent went into the city in the 98 Degrees heat to pick me up another song in the Nick of time to mix, (subtle hints dropped there) which he then spent the day prepping. The song is amazing and it features the London Symphony Orchestra. I LOVE recording orchestral sections, i love mixing them too. For Mariah Carey i recorded 22 Strings, for David Byrne it was a double string Quartet (8 strings) with english horn and 2 oboe's. Lenny Kravitz was a quartet but sounded like a full section (listen on my main page). Biggest section I've ever recorded was 56 pieces. WHAT A RUSH!!!!! ok ok ok, see, I get so wrapped up in my work sometimes that i can't shut up about it.
I went to see Tim Burton's "Willy Wonka" tonight. That guy is a genius. The story wasn't the greatest, and it was a bit disturbing, as all Tim Burton stuff is. but visually it was classic Tim Burton art, along with all of the odd quirks you'd expect. Go see it. or not. I came back to the studio afterwards and mixed for several hours and now I'm blogging, with a glass of wine next to me. I hated wine when i was a youngster, now i love it (i'm 35 now by the way). I think in a moment i'm going to go home and fire up TIVO and watch some CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) which has been my favorite show for a while. I like CSI Miami and CSI New York, but the regular CSI is my running favorite, and TIVO is wonderful for people like me who cant begin to predict their schedule, and who'd rather spend time mixing than sitting thru commercials. Anyway, i hope TIVO caught me a good episode to end the night with. Its very nice to pretend i have a balance between work and play. I mean doesnt everyone work 80 and 90 hour weeks? OK, time to go pretend some more. Lets see what crimes Grissom will solve tonight.
-Ken

Thinking Of A Revolution

I just landed a shot at 2 very big mixes for two very good artists on two very different major labels. Can anyone guess who one of them is? Anyway, I have a feeling I'm going to be going up against some of the top mixers in the industry on these 2 songs. All i gotta say is they'd better be bringing their A+ game if they indend to beat my mixes.

I just finished a mix for a new and very talented pop artist on Jive Records, and just started my sixth of seven mixes for a new and very talented pop artist on Hollywood Records. Its been a super-pop month and I'm lovin it. On top of that, I'm wrapping up tweeks and final touches on another sample recreation for Kanye for an artist he's producing. And i recently finished mixes on Cuban Link's whole album, so i guess you could say its been a super-hip-hop month too. This weekend is gonna be crazy, as if this week hasnt been crazy enough. Time to catch 4 or 5 hours of sleep so i can wake up and do it all again tomorrow.
-Ken

Smells Like Rampage up in Here!!

Ok, so i got into storytelling mode last night, and got some funny emails today asking for more. i could blog for eternity about the crazy things i've seen happen in studios, but here's one of my favorite stories. You young folks may be too young to remember the artists, maybe not. so here's a little setup. for years i made records with an amazingly talented producer / songwriter who's identity i'll protect due to the nature of the story, we'll refer to him only as "Mr TP", but anyone who finds the album and looks at the credits can probably learn his true identity, he produced the song. The artist was Zhane (they got famous for a minute with the song "Hey Mr DJ" which i did not work on. If you look at my credits, you'll see what song i did work on. I recorded and mixed the song, but the story here happened during a vocal session at Soundtrack Studios in NYC, in Studio E, with both Jean and Renee from Zhane. This was 1997.

Studio E has a really small vocal booth, two people in the booth at once is about all it can take, but Jean and Renee sing very well together on the mic, which is uncommon. They've both got beautiful voices. Hold up. Stop. More story set up. Ya'll know who Busta Rhymes is right? I have only worked with Busta a few times but he's so gifted. He will be a true hip hop legend one day. Does anybody remember (i think) his cousin who had a deal for a minute, named "Rampage"? Yeah, i would have forgotten about him too if not for this story. OK, back to Zhane. so all the music is tracked, and Jean and Renee go into the booth to cut vocals. They put the headphones on and start riffing with their voices to start warming up. I've already got the vocal mic set and sounding good so Mr TP and i can hear every word coming from the booth. We start the first vocal take and a few lines in, (i think it was Renee) stopped the take, starts sniffing the microphone popper stopper and says "Oh My God, it Smells Like Rampage was up in here". Now before the session i had just talked to the assistant and who'd have thought the following knowledge would have come in handy. My response in the talkback mic was "Girls, Rampage was up in here cutting vocals last night, you just called out his breath!!!!"

I swear to god thats how it happened. I think we laughed for the next hour straight. I'm sure it was just late and Rampage just needed a breath mint after a long night of rhyming, but it made for a very memorable session.
-Ken

Cassidy Murders the Charts

So i guess a murder charge just isn't what it used to be anymore. Cassidy's album "I'm a Hustla" hit the Billboard R&B Hip Hop charts this week at #2 (#5 on the Top 200). For those of you who aren't up on the current happenings in hip hop, Cassidy is in jail facing murder, attempted murder, and weapons charges. When he allegedly committed these crimes, he had a single blowing up at radio already. Now i really do hope that he's innocent, because i cannot believe how stupid you must have to be to murder somebody when you are about to drop a hit album and you already have a hit single. Actually let me just back up and say, i really wish he had not done it because he ended somebody's life, and thats just a pretty messed up thing to do. Lets just remember that for a second. Someone is now dead. Cassidy has been charged with the murder of that person.

Looks like a murder only buys you a #2 debut anymore. The real crime was the #1 debut by the Ying Yang Twins who only bored me to death with the Whisper Song. Sorry, i just dont get it. Not everybody can like everything. Oh, by the way, I worked on Cassidy's album. In fact i did music for the second single. Unfortunately he's not the first murderer I've worked with. I've actually made records with people that i knew to be murderer's, hopefully reformed ex-murderers. I'm still alive and in one piece, so thats a good thing. I've worked with even more people that I knew have shot or otherwise harmed people. And a few people who've been shot (50 Cent comes to mind, though i worked with him before he caught 9 slugs. I've been shot too, random falling bullet, New Years Eve, put a nice hole in my shoulder, not very "glamourous") This is a really crazy business. And lets not even get into my associations with drug dealers. By the way, for anyone who cares, I've never done a single drug in my entire life (sorry to dissapoint you, i've been around them PLENTY, and watched alot of people ruin their lives with them, not to mention ruining records with them. no thanks!). Once though, i did get a contact high working with Pete Rock on the "Soul Survivors" album. Oh, and i've been threatened by a few hip hoppers. Remember Grand Puba? yeah, i know, not very memorable. He threatened me because he thought i lost a cassette tape containing his whole album to date (1994). I didn't. I told him so. He said "If you don;t find my tape your gonna catch a beatin", which i thought was pretty funny. Later i found the casette in a menu book, left there by one of his crew. Special Ed. Remember him? Special Ed flipped out because an intern threw away his sandwich (that had been left out) while he slept. He demanded the intern give him $7. I'm not kidding. I gave Ed $5, all i had, then he turned back to the intern and demanded $2. then he stole a computer to make up for it and held a razor blade at us. OK, this dude had a RECORD DEAL, and i had JUST MIXED HIS SONG (i think 1995). Does anybody wonder why he doesnt have a career anymore?

Last quick threat story for the night. Yep, Puffy. Well, he was Puffy back then, 1993 (i havent been genuinely threatened in almost a decade. I guess credits buy you respect. Puffy was auditioning a singer right outside my studio door (he had booked a different room at the same facility). this girl sang for over 15 minutes and my clients were reading me the riot act. So, as softly and nicely as i possibly could, i opened the door and asked Puffy if he could have her sing in his studio lounge. Puffy lost his mind and started screaming and threatening me. Which, actually, i thought was pretty funny, becuase i knew Puffy grew up in the suburbs, not from the streets, and he was also on probation at the time on gun charges, so he wasn't gonna touch me or it would be straight back to jail. Either way, easpecially back then, physically, Puffy really isnt very intimidating. Oh yeah. Puffy ratted me out to the studio owner the next day. That was fucked up, and definitely lacked any street cred. But fortunately, the owner loved me and all was cool. I've worked with Puffy dozens of times since that event in 1993, and i have always had very positive experiences. He never remembered it. Puff, if your reading, I got nouttin but love for ya.
OK. this was a nice way to end the night. Time to sleep.
- Ken

Advice for Newbies - Pt II - Self Promotion

If anyone hasn't noticed yet, I've become fairly adept at self promotion, after all, here you sit reading my blog on my website. I get my name out there as much as i can, and hey, why not, if people don't know i exist, it will be very hard for me to mix their records. I've mixed a few records for people who didn't know i existed. Its no fun.

Here comes even more gratuitous self promotion........ ready????? ....... i own an extremely cool website called indieTunes.com, yes thats indieTunes.com. Go there now. I'll wait. go on. OK, i'll assume you've gone and checked out the site and now your back. good, now i can talk about it and you'll understand what i mean. indieTunes can most quickly and easily be described as an itunes style music store strictly for independent artists. Now then, let me ask you a really stupid question. here comes. If your album is available on the itunes store, (along with the tens of thousands of other albums available) do you expect Apple to promote you? Should they let people know your album is there and that people should buy it? NO!!!! Of course not. Its not Apple's job to promote you. its YOUR JOB. Same with indieTunes. I only mention this because it seems far too often in the music industry, and right now we'll focus on the music industry on an indie level, artists often seem to feel that the world should just automatically discover them. Sorry, thats not how it works. I bring this up because i often read support emails from the indieTunes site to the effect of "Why aren't you guys promoting my music, I have barely sold any downloads this month". We get alot of emails like that.

Let me give a for example. If a major label releases a new debut artist, how do you hear about them? Osmosis? Psychic Friends Network? Nope. well, maybe. You hear about it because the record company simultaneously launches (hopefully) a big promotional campaign to let people know their new artist exists. Radio promotion, posters in stores, touring, videos, high visibility store placement, etc... Now if a label goes to all that trouble to promote their artist, don't you think you, as an indie artist, need to get out there and let people know you exist? It is possible as an indie artist to sell alot of records, but only if you are promoting yourself. So, go on, why are you still reading? Go get your promo on. let people know you exist, that you have great music, and that they should listen, fall in love with your songs and BUY them!!!! OK, my "Ears break" is over. Now i'm off to finish another indie mix for a great client that i hope sells a ton of records.
-Ken

Advice for Newbies Part I - Step Up Your Game

I decided to use my blogging powers for good instead of evil tonight. I get alot of emails asking for advice of all kinds. I figured "Hey, I have a blog", maybe i should dole out some advice from time to time and maybe do somebody some good. First i'll attempt to answer some of the frequently asked email questions......

Email Question 1. "Dude, can you get me a record deal". OK, listen, common sense should tell you that if your trying to get a record deal via email your probably going about it the wrong way. No i can't get you a record deal, even if you are the next Eminem, i still can't get you a record deal. What i can do for you is mix the hell out of your demo so that it sounds at least sonically as good as the major label artists. If you send something to a record company, manager, promoter, etc... and it sounds like a basement tape, do you think you'll be taken very seriously? Usually not. Zach Katz says in the latest issue of Scratch Magazine.... (by the way if you dont know who Zach Katz is, start googling now, he's big) he says "Make sure your CD is mixed professionally. People don't want to hear disclaimers like 'My friend borrowed my mixer'. The shit has to speak for itself". Zach's words not mine. Truer words were never spoken. Come on man, get in the game, if you wanna catch the ears of the pro's you need to step it up. Get your stuff mixed right, either by me or somebody else who knows what the heck they are doing. Mixing is a specialty. if everyone could do what i do, I'd be homeless.

Email Question 2. Actually not a question but a HUGE pet peeve of mine. SIGN YOUR NAME TO YOUR EMAIL!!!!!!! ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR ASKING OF MY TIME!!!!!! You guys just would not believe how many emails i get from people asking me for all kinds of things but they cant be bothered to sign their name to their email let alone introduce themselves first. Look, if you are asking me or anyone for any of their time, for advice, opinions, information, even rates and availability, have the courtesy and common sense to sign your name. Think about it. Do i want to sit and write a nice response email to a mystery person? No. it would go "Dear whoever you are" I mean even inquiries about rates, etc... If your not even going to leave your name, what chance to i believe you'll become a client of mine? slim. Too many people have completely forgotten common courtesy. If this is you, change your ways now. You are losing opportunities for yourself and real industry people will not take you seriously.

Email Question 3. "Yo, i'm about to graduate from engineering school. can i work for you". I get these alot. Now lets think for a moment. This person didnt bother to send me a resume, work references, nothing. This happens alot. They approached me unprofessionally. Hmmmm...... is this the type of employee I want to hire? Is this person somebody i want around when i'm working on projects for Kanye West or other major label clients? Is this person somebody i even want to let inside my studio in the first place??? Look, even if you are looking for an unpaid internship, realize that you are asking somebody to have trust in you, to spend their valuable time training you and teaching you how to do what they do. I am completely uninterested in even considering hiring someone who cannot approach me professionally. Having said that, I am not currently hiring, i have two great guys working for me. My staff is set.

Now, please don't take this blog post as venting. Its not. If any of the above examples is you, and you'd actually like to advance your music career past the basement, realize that industry profsessionals are where they are for a reason. We've worked very hard to get here. You've got to approach industry pro's (or anyone for the matter) with respect and professionalism, or they will not give you any respect and professionalism back. Remember this is the music BUSINESS. if you don't treat your music career like a business, chances are your career will grind to a halt. Good luck to everyone out there. This is an insanely difficult industry to succeed in, but i always say "well, somebody has to win, and it's going to be me". its gotten me this far..... so far.
-Ken

"Pray"ing for Credit

3am Friday night. Yup, you guessed it. I'm mixing. I just finished a song from a super talented male R&B group named "Duval". You probably haven't heard them........ YET. I have a feeling you will. About to start another mix right now as i'm a bit behind on my workload, and if its ever a choice between sleeping and mixing, mixing usually wins until i pass out drooling on my gear (usually a nightly occurance). I feel so creative late at night. Its very hard to mix during the day, mostly because i perpetually have too many irons in the fire and I'm always juggling ten different things, the phone rings constantly, etc.... This has made me an incredibly efficient and productive multi-tasker, but late night is when i get very seriously focused on one thing, mixing (well, except when i'm blogging :-)
Anyway, this post was supposed to be about CeCe Wynans so let me get to it. I mixed the first single from her new album at this studio, a song called "Pray". the song was produced by an amazing production team called the Supaflya's (Adam Anders and Ras check em out at AndersMusic.com), and they did a tremendous job on the song, however, you'd never know it reading the credits. Turns out the credits read more like I produced it, i think the credit reads "Pray - Ken Lewis Edit Mix". though I definitely had creative input, it was as a mixer, not producer. The Supaflya's got stiffed, no credit whatsoever for all of their hard work. So, I just wanted anyone who see's it to know what the real deal is. I'm very proud to have mixed the song, but that was my only role in it. I'm currently mixing a French artist named Lola for these guys, and they have a bunch of pop mixes in the pipeline for me coming up soon. I think JoJo is one of them, and possibly Nick Lachey. My fingers are crossed. If i get those songs in my hands, I am going to MURDER those mixes (as i try to do with every mix for every client actually, but its always wonderful to know what your doing will end up on the radio being heard by millions of people). Anyway, as for me, back to the grind. The night is young only 3:22am, theres at least 2 or 3 hours left of mixing before the drool sets in.
-Ken

Slacker

OK, so i've been slacking a little bit on keeping up with my blog posts. I appologize, but there's been good reason. I've been mixing and producing like crazy lately. Lots of very good projects coming thru here. I'm almost done mixing a slew of songs for Jeannie Ortega, a new pop artist on Hollywood Records, look for her album in late summer, early fall. Big shout out to hip hop artist Blackface from the Cayman Islands. I produced a song for him and mixed another one. Straight fire. Cuban Link on M.O.B. Universal records just got mastered this week. We've been working on his album on and off for over a year. I produced a song, mixed almost the whole album, and played on a bunch of it. Cuban Link is one of the premier hip hop lyricists I've ever worked with, and his work output is prolific. I mixed an album for him when he was on Atlantic several years ago. I thought that album was amazing. this one is too. It features guest appearances by The Game, JadaKiss, Mya, Selena Johnson, Zion, and Avant, among others. August 26 street date.
I think "Late Registration" is done, the new album from Kanye West. I contributed music to "Gold Digger" (the current single), Heard Em Say (with Maroon 5), Crack Music (with The Game), and Bring Me Down (with Brandy). Good luck to Kanye on the new release, as if he needs luck, that boy has so much talent its rediculous.
I'm about to produce a bunch of songs for a new artist on Ruff Ryders/Universal. super duper hot hot hot. I'll keep ya'll posted. I also have a bunch of pop mixes coming through as well, and possibly some more big Reggaeton mixes. And i have alot of really amazing independent stuff on my plate lately. several really talented artists across many different genre's.

My long term project that i'm very passionate about is about ready to shop. I've been developing a band called Small Town Sleeper for a long time. (www.smalltownsleeper.com listen to "backseat" on my home page and tell me you dont love this band!!!). We're just finishing up three new songs that will knock your socks off, just you wait and see. I love my job.
-Ken

Space - The Final Frontier

It's an all outer space weekend here. Well, not all, plenty of mixing going on this holiday weekend as well. But i can't wait for Monday's fireworks. No, not the American 4th of July fireworks, althougth I hope to see some great ones. The fireworks I'm waiting for are MUCH further away, try 80 million miles away. Has anyone been following this. NASA is sending an 800 pound probe on a collision course with comet Temple 1, a comet currently streaming thru our solar system and orbiting the sun. This isn't some mission to save the Earth from catastrophy, though I hope they are practicing, just in case. NASA isn't even hitting the comet with a bomb, just an 800 pound hunk of copper that will impact at 23,000 miles per hour, creating an explosion equal to 10,000 pounds of TNT. They expect it'll blow a chunk off the comet about the size of a football stadium. Hope it works. It's also supposed to be visible in some parts of the western hemisphere, hence the "real" 4th of July fireworks will be very far away. I'm excited. I know, you probably couldn't care less, but then again, consider that i make my living listening to the same song over, and over and over and over and....... about 200 times until it sounds like a finished mix. then the next day i do it again with a different song, and before you know it, comets seem interesting. you get the idea.
And in a completely unrelated outer space story, I saw War of the Worlds tonight. Holy cow. Great movie, go see it. Now back to mixing for me. I am mixing a crazy hot record for a new artist on Hollywood Records tonight. I'm inspired.
-Ken

Happy Half Year!!!

July 1, 2005. The year is officially half over. How has your year been? Mine has been a mixture of complete insanity and very cool projects, a blend of career milestone awards and minor setbacks. Its been a year of regrouping, retooling, upgrading, hiring more staff, Brent and Cooper are both full time now and have become my right and left arms. Cooper hooks up the caffiene iv drip into my left arm while Brent hooks up a constant flow of songs ready to mix into my right arm. my poor veins. As busy as i am, its also been a year of trying to better balance work with some semblance of a life. Now 80 hours is still a pretty average, run of the mill work week for me, this week will eclipse that easily. However, i am attempting to take at least two or three hours everyday to do something i enjoy (other than mixing!!!), or something completely mindless, or something that gives me a bit of a social life.

Just about a year ago (when the olympics were starting) i hit the worst burnout of my career. I turned off the computer for a week and didn't mix a thing. I laid around on the couch watching Olympics, went out to the movies, basically pretended that i wasnt in the music business for a week. It did wonders for me and when i went back to work, i loved it again. Since then, every day i try to take some time for myself, and wouldn't ya know, every day i still love making records. Sometimes it gets frustrating and tedious, but don't all jobs? Mostly though, i just pinch myself everyday and wonder how the hell i got so lucky to make a living with music. Sorry, gotta run, I have a mix waiting for me. Happy Half Year!!!
-Ken